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Monday, May 31, 2010

"It is the Soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us Freedom of the Press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the Freedom to demonstrate.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial;
And it is the Soldier--who salutes the flag,
Who serves the flag, and
Whose coffin is draped by the flag--
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."

On Monday, Americans across this nation and citizens located around the world will pause throughout the day to observe Memorial Day. Since its first official observation on 5 May, 1868, when it was called Declaration Day, it has been a day of remembrance for those who sacrificed and died in our nation’s service. And while it was originally dedicated to honor Civil War soldiers, we know it today as a celebration in memory of all who have fought for and defended our right to freedom.

In 1968 the observation of this day was established to be the last Monday in May. Today it remains a time of observation to honor and to respect those who fought to protect the liberties that our Founding Fathers proclaimed with certainty in the Declaration of Independence and that were thoughtfully and carefully framed in the Constitution of the United States. In his proclamation to set aside this day in 1868, General Logan instructed there to be thoughts to “…cherish tenderly the memories of our heroic dead who made their breast a barricade between our country and its foes”.

To those who died securing peace and freedom; To those who served in conflict to protect our land, and sacrificed their dreams of the day to preserve the hope of our nation keeping America the land of the free for over two centuries we owe our thanks and our honor. It is important to not only recognize their service but to respect their devotion to duty and to ensure that the purpose for which they fought will never be forgotten.

From the soldiers who fought bravely during the American Revolution to the men and women of today’s Armed Forces, America’s fighting forces, have responded bravely to this nation’s call to duty. Both on the battlefield and in their assurance of readiness, members of the nation’s military remain bound to their duty. For more than 200 years, America’s Armed Forces have been the surest guarantee that Freedom will continue to ring across this land – From Sea to Shining Sea!

The lives of the men and women who fought in America’s battles, and who served their country in support of the military, made significant sacrifice in fighting for the freedom and liberty that we enjoy today. Too often we fail to remember those who gave their life, or those whose life today bears the scars as a lasting memory of that sacrifice and commitment. But there are many who remember vividly as the lives affected were sons, daughters, friends, coworkers and neighbors – and that their unselfishvsacrifice was made with the assurance that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness required the ultimate service to their nation.

This is a documentary filmed in 1966 and is a fascinating look at how a news station in Houston went about gathering the news in the 60s.

Many of the jobs that once took several people now take only one or two people to accomplish. I got a kick out of seeing the old-style film editors at work.

It makes me consider the routines and methods I employ when gathering information for a blog post or when I prepare to cover a live event, or when I have the rare opportunity to webcast a live event.

One thing that is apparent to me is that most news organizations seem to still operate with the view that their conventional channel is the main target of their news gathering operations. That is to say, that TV Stations seem overly focused on items for broadcast, Radio Stations and Newspapers seems focused on their conventional distribution channel. Many of them have websites that are either afterthoughts or are very poorly designed advertisement platforms. WWNC-AM is one obvious example that comes to mind, especially after looking at the source code. Nearly every Clear Channel radio station website looks the same and isn't designed with standard SEO practices in mind that would help in making their material searchable on the web.

They have neglected to change with the times and to take advantage of the new opportunities presented by the Internet and the multiple channels of distribution that have become available to them.

One of the few examples I can think of that don't fall into this mold is the Mountain Xpress in Asheville. It is a weekly paper that is mostly filled with entertainment news and some news stories of local interest. Their website is a much better source of information because they have used crowd sourcing techniques that allow people in the community to participate in the news gathering process.

This is something that the Asheville Citizen-Times has tried to do over the years and has failed miserably with each attempt, usually through no fault of their reporters. I place the blame with a very poor management style that seems to take a top-down approach to news gathering that reminds me of the old Soviet Politburo method of Command and Control and centralized decision making.

WLOS-TV is more of the same in regard to web design and news distribution, although it is a step above the Citizen-Times. One glaring omission from the website is the ability to watch the newscast live or on demand. They have individual stories, but not the whole product.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney delivered the Annual Reagan Lecture at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. In his latest book, Governor Romney proposes simple solutions to rebuild industry, create good jobs, reduce out of control spending on entitlements and healthcare, dramatically improve education, and restore a military battered by eight years of war.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

**9.00am** Video of the landing has been added to the bottom of this post...

The end of an era is upon us. The Atlantis will landing for the last time today, barring use as an emergency vehicle later this year. The landing is planned for 8.48 AM EDT today, and, courtesy of SpaceVidCast, you can watch it live here...

To listen to the meetings below, right-click and open link in new tab. You should be able to listen in your default media player. If you have trouble getting the links to work, please visit the General Assembly Audio Broadcast Page for help.

Here is the full video of the Macon County Commissioners meeting that took place on May 24, 2010. It includes the 2pm meeting and the 6pm Public Hearing on the QZAB loan for the Nantahala School renovation. The agenda for the meeting is below the video.

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MAY 24, 2010 - 2 P.M.AGENDA

Call to order and welcome by Chairman Beale

Announcements:

Meeting will recess until 6 p.m. on May 27th in Board Room

Public hearing on the budget June 7th at 6 p.m. in Board Room

Invocation

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Hearing - 6 p.m.

Financing for Nantahala School Renovations
(Note: Hearing will convene at 6 p.m.)

Public Comment Period

Adjustments to and approval of the agenda

Reports/Presentations:

Presentation of the FY 2010/2011 Budget and Message

Macon County Historical Society

Old Business:

Highlands Library

New Business:

Consent AgendaAll items below are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. No separate discussion will be held except on request of a member of the Board of Commissioners.

Minutes

Finance

(1) NC Education Lottery Funds (2) Budget revisions.

Tax releases

Franklin 4th of July fireworks display

Appointments

Closed session - Attorney/Client Privilege

Recess to 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 27th in the Board Room on the 3rd floor of the Courthouse.

Contact & Crowd Funding

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CROWD FUNDING

If you're of a mind, and can afford it, a dollar a month (or more) from enough people will make a huge difference in improving the quality of coverage of local meetings and events, as well as allowing remote weather stations and weather cams to be deployed throughout the county that you will be able to access online.

So far, 23 people have pledged $126 a month. This is a tremendous help. Please visit www.patreon.com/MaconMedia for more information on how to contribute.

Businesses can underwrite this coverage by day sponsorships, surplus equipment donations, etc. Inquire at editor@maconmedia.com for more information.